07 September 2016

As debate continues to rage about the burkini and proposed “burqa bans” in Europe, research has shown that several Muslim-majority countries prefer women to have their faces and hair uncovered.

Despite restrictive laws governing how women must dress in public, almost half of Saudi Arabians believe women should wear what they want, according to a survey by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research

A study found that while residents of the country and several other Muslim-majority nations said veils covering the hair were “appropriate” in public, many supported increased freedom of dress.

When asked if they agreed with the statement that it was “up to a woman to dress whichever way she wants”, 56 per cent of Tunisians respondents replied with the affirmative, followed by 52 per cent of Turks and 49 per cent of Lebanese people questioned. [The Independent] Read more